Dan: Here’s how we get our energy emissions down closer to zero
KANTURK’S DAN TWOMEY HAS BEEN ‘PROMOTED’ TO MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND HERE’S HOW HE WOULD REDUCE THE COUNTRY’S ENERGY EMISSIONS
DAN Twomey is the founder and dynamo behind Kanturk’s Waterpower supply company (www.waterpower.ie), a firm which has been generating 100% environmentally friendly green energy around Ireland for over 20 years.
But for the purposes of this article, he’s the newly installed Minister for Energy, having got the call from Taoiseach Micheál Martin and the green light from his coalition partners, Eamon Ryan of the Green Party and Tánaiste and former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
As far as Dan is concerned the key to achieving Ireland’s zero emissions targets is education so his first task as Minister would be to contact his Cabinet colleague, Norma Foley, to ensure a new subject around energy conservation would be included for all students.
“It’s the crucial first step – if what we’re looking for is a reduction in emissions, reduced waste of energy and more responsibility around the entire issue of the environment. Up to 35% could be achieved with smart technology”.
At present the main factor dictating Ireland’s energy policy is our dependence on gas and oil imports, a dependence which costs us €6 billion per year. From this is generated approximately 80% of our electricity requirement every year. “What keeps the lights on and everything purring is the gas,” he said. “The price of gas is the leveller, when wind doesn’t blow, no sunshine and low water in rivers”.
Another factor is the annual €400m contribution to the economy made by our electricity system – the ESB – a contribution which the Exchequer would be loathe to see taken off the table or reduced in any way.
The average household bill for a year’s electricity is around €1200-1500 plus VAT, which means that this is a fairly insigificant element of the market as far as the energy supplier is concerned relative to the energy demands of a large firm, say a chemical manufacturer in Cork harbour.
According to Dan, some of these companies are already buying their gas directly and generating their own power. A house would contribute 13.5% VAT on this amount. This is a good reason to reduce consumption.
Another factor which is becoming increasingly prevalent is alternative energy, with wind farms popping all over rural areas and more people also considering installing solar photo voltaic panels on their roofs to generate part or all of their energy.
While a household could install enough solar PV panels to provide for their energy needs, the cost of say €1012,000 could far outweigh the yearly saving of around €400-€500. That said, the money is not making interest. This investment on your roof gives 4% return at present, if all power could be used it changes to 8%. If sold back to your supplier it reduces to a surplus of 6%.
This would be enough to fit out a house with enough panels to generate 6 kilowatts of electricity and this would